Colts' Shane Steichen Reveals Confidence Level in Gardner Minshew

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen let the world know how he feels about Gardner Minshew taking over in Anthony Richardson's stead.

Fans of the Indianapolis Colts knew the news was likely coming, but it did not make it sting any less.

The Colts officially placed rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson on injured reserve as he recovers from a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder. Richardson suffered the injury in the second quarter of last Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans. Multiple reports state that the initial timeline for Richardson to return is 4-8 weeks, but the team has not given an official timeline.

Head coach Shane Steichen met with the media on Wednesday after the Colts announced the news and had an obvious look of disappointment on his face.

"As you guys know, we put Anthony on IR," Steichen started his presser Wednesday morning. "He’s out a minimum of four weeks, we’ll continue to evaluate that process, don’t have a timetable right now for his return.”

The Colts and Richardson are still evaluating their options on whether or not the quarterback will need surgery. Surgery would likely cause Richardson to miss the rest of the year. Steichen could not give a concrete answer when asked when he expects Richardson back or if surgery was an option.

“We’ll look at everything. We’ll see what happens, what the doctors say with the final deal.”

Team personnel tend to Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) after hurting his shoulder Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.  :: © Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

With Richardson on the shelf for the foreseeable future, the Colts will turn to Gardner Minshew to lead the offense. Minshew has played admirably in place of Richardson this season, keeping the offense afloat. When it comes to the level of confidence Steichen has in his backup quarterback, the Colts head coach is not wavering.

“He’s played a good amount of football in this league, as you guys have seen," Steichen remarked about Minshew. "Obviously in the Baltimore game he started, came in against Houston and obviously he came in again. He’s played at a high level, we just got to continue that. The preparation is going to be huge this week for our football team. Again, a lot of confidence in Gardner and this football team has that too in him.”

Minshew has appeared in four of five games for the Colts this season. However, he has only started one of those contests. It can be tough for a quarterback to perform at a moment's notice, but Minshew has answered the bell each time.

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"When you got a guy like Gardner, a veteran guy that’s done it and done it at a high level, it definitely eases that," Steichen explained. "Like I said, the team has confidence in him, coaches have confidence in him to go out and perform at a high level.”

Minshew has been solid in relief of Richardson this season. The veteran quarterback is 57-of-83 (68.7%) for 553 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a QB rating of 95.1. He has kept the offense going when Richardson has been down, executing at a high level and providing confidence to his coaches and teammates.

Another reason Steichen is so confident in Minshew is the familiarity the head coach has with the quarterback. While Steichen and Minshew are both in their first season in Indy, they spent the previous two seasons together with the Philadelphia Eagles. Steichen served as the offensive coordinator in Philly, with Minshew backing up Jalen Hurts.

Steichen recalled his first impression of the quarterback nicknamed "The Mustache" as they built their relationship with the Eagles.

“Just a guy that’s passionate about football," Steichen admitted. "Shoot, when we first met him in Philly when we signed him – he came in and attacked, learned the offense. He came into that first meeting I remember in Philly, and he had this Surface, and he was constantly taking notes – everything we said, taking notes.

"He learned the system very quickly. He’s a football junkie, loves ball, wants to be great. I said this when I got hired but just the obsession with football at the quarterback position – understanding the scheme, understanding defensive football, where to go with the football, when to go with the football is a huge factor in his success.”

Having an obsession with football was one of Steichen's requirements for the quarterback position when he joined the Colts this spring. Richardson has proven since he was drafted that he is obsessed with his craft. Steichen sees the same thing out of Minshew.

The plan was always for the Colts to draft a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft. But general manager Chris Ballard was also scouring the free agent landscape looking for a viable quarterback to bring competition and mentorship to the room. When Minshew's name was mentioned, Steichen could not sign off fast enough.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew (10) throws a pass over Tennessee Titans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (2) during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium / © Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

"It came up about bringing in a backup quarterback," Steichen revealed. "The name got brought up and Chris asked me about him and I said, ‘Heck yeah. He’s a heck of a football player. He would be great to have on the roster.’ That’s how that went.”

Steichen has the utmost confidence that Minshew will be able to keep the Colts offense moving while Richardson recovers. After Minshew helped lead the Colts to victory over the Titans last Sunday, Steichen went as far as saying Minshew was the best backup quarterback in the NFL. With Richardson sidelined, the backup will now be the starter for the Colts.

This week's matchup will be a tough test for the Colts as they head south to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although Indy is tied with the Jaguars atop the AFC South standings, the Jags took down the Colts 31-21 in Week 1. The Colts have also not won in Jacksonville since 2014.

The game holds a little more importance to Minshew as well. The Jaguars were the team that drafted Minshew in 2019, trading him to the Eagles before the 2021 season after they selected quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the No.1 overall pick. Sunday will be a revenge game of sorts for Minshew, and Steichen cannot wait to see what he does against his former team.

"I know it will big for him to go back to Jacksonville where he started his career," Steichen said. "I’m excited to watch him play on Sunday.”

Colts fans, embrace "Minshew Mania" for the time being. The head coach certainly has.

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